Ford GT Race Car Rumored for Le Mans Debut
Ford isn’t just testing its GT sports car on the streets.
Motorsport.com reports that a Ford GT race car began testing earlier this month, with the Multimatic-designed car being driven by Scott Maxwell at the Calabogie Motorsports Park in Ontario. Rumor has it that the Ford GT race car will make its debut at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours race next month and has undergone another round of more thorough testing last Wednesday. Along with the debut of the Ford GT race car, Ford is expected to announce its motorsports plans for the 2016 race season, which the Ford GT is expected to compete in.
SEE ALSO: 2017 Ford GT: What You Need To Know
Expect the new Ford GT race car to be powered by a Roush Yates 3.5-liter V6 turbocharged engine, similar to the one found in the Riley & Scott Daytona Prototype car. The race car variant for the new Ford GT is being designed in England by Multimatic’s “design cell” in Cambridgeshire. Led by former Lola LMP designer Julian Sole, the team also features other former Lola designers including Norman Ashmore, brother of former Reynard CART engineer Bruce Ashmore.
Further testing for the Ford GT racer is planned for throughout the summer, prior to the race car going through its FIA/ACO performance measurement tests at the Ladoux test facility in late summer.
[Source: Motorsport]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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The motorsports.com article talks about the heavy involvement of Multimatic in building and testing the car but earlier articles I read indicated that Chip Ganassi Racing would campaign the car in competition. Is there any word on CGRT's involvement to this point or when they might transition to full management of the project? Also is there any word if the car does debut this year at Petite Le Mans will it be under the Multimatic or CGRT banner?